Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist

Who should get the CIE certification?

Do you work in the field of indoor air quality (IAQ)? The Council- certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) is the most popular indoor air quality certification. If you investigate air quality problems such as mold, VOCs, allergens, dampness, poor ventilation and sick building syndrome, the CIE is great certification to substantiate your knowledge and experience.

The CIE certification will demonstrate to your clients that you:

Excel at diagnosing, resolving and preventing common IAQ problems

Understand how a building’s HVAC system can control (and cause) IAQ problems

Incorporate the full spectrum of contaminants into your IAQ assessments, which may include mold, bacteria, VOCs, carbon monoxide, radon, triggers to asthma & allergies and more

Apply current industry guidelines

Comprehend the fundamentals of building science

Use IAQ instruments and equipment to measure contaminants

The certification is designed for environmental consultants, HVAC professionals, property inspectors, industrial hygienists, restoration contractors and others working in fields related to indoor air quality.

What is your course?

Indoor Sciences teaches a class to prepare you for the CIE certification. Our class has gone through a rigorous review process and has been approved by the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA). Although most refer to this class as the “CIE Course”, its official title is the IAQA Indoor Environmentalist Course.

What are the prerequisites for getting CIE certified?

Just attending our CIE preparatory course does not make you certified, although you will receive a certificate of completion from the Indoor Air Quality Association. To actually become certified as a CIE, you must first meet certain experience requirements and pass an examination offered through the independent certifying body, American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC).

Before you are allowed to take the ACAC’s CIE examination, you must first fill out an application that describes your experience in the field of indoor air quality. If you are new to the field and don’t have any experience, consider taking the CRIE: Council- Certified Residential Indoor Environmentalist. CIE applicants must possess one of the following combinations of two (2) years education and relevant field experience:

No degree, with at least two (2) years of documented field experience conducting indoor air quality investigations. (High school diploma or GED required.)

A 2-year post-secondary degree or its equivalent (15 credit hours) in engineering, science, architecture, industrial hygiene or related field of science with a minimum of one (1) year of documented field experience conducting indoor air quality investigations.

If you have significantly more experience, you may want to consider the CIEC.

Is this an online course, or an on-site course?

Both! You can either take the class online, or face-to-face at one of our on-site courses scheduled throughout the US.

The online class consists of videos that you watch at your own pace. It takes about 32 hours to complete the online course. Online students get access to the videos for 90 days and indefinitely keep the course manual for future reference. Extensions can be purchased for a fee.

Our face-to-face, on-site courses are condensed down into two 8 hour days for a fast-paced format. The following are upcoming class dates:

The classes above include our CIE practice exam. If you would like to take our practice exam by itself, the cost is $199. To sign up, click this link: CIE Practice Exam. Please note that the practice exam does not explain why the correct answers are correct and the wrong answers are wrong.

Is the exam difficult?

Many consider the CIE exam to be difficult. The ACAC published their 2011 pass ratios and the CIE’s was listed at only 51%. Don’t fret! Indoor Sciences has put together a class that is designed to prepare you for success.

You take the CIE exam at a proctored testing location. You can find a proctored testing location by clicking this link: Testing Locations

The following are important details related to the CIE examination:

All multiple choice questions with four possible answers

100 total questions

Passing grade is 75%

Duration: 3 hours (You can leave if you finish early)

Closed-book exam (You cannot bring any personal belongings with you, or they will be stored outside the exam room)

How is the CIE different from the CIEC and CRIE?

These three certifications cover a similar body of knowledge. Therefore, we have one single class that prepares students for all three of these certifications equally. Through the years, our course has been equally successful at preparing students for all three designations.

Why should I take a class from Indoor Sciences?

We guarantee that you’ll pass! If you complete our course and score a 90% or higher on any attempt on our practice exam, we’ll pay for your retest fee. If you fail your retest, we’ll refund your entire registration fee!

Why are we so confident you will pass? We carefully explain how to arrive at the right answer to over 150 questions similar to ones found on the CIE examination. Register for this class and stop worrying about passing!

Need more reasons to take the class? Gather all your complex questions, because our classes are taught by an internationally recognized expert on indoor air quality, Ian Cull, PE, CIH. You can trust that the course’s technical information is based on sound science. Indoor Sciences doesn’t sell products, nor do we push or promote any one technology, device manufacturer or laboratory. We have no ulterior motives! Finally, this course has been peer reviewed and approved by the Education Committee of the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA).

What is the cancellation and refund policy?

What topics are covered?

The CIE course covers a wide range of topics related to IAQ contaminants, health effects, building science, HVAC, equipment, assessments, standards, and remediation. To view a comprehensive list of topics covered, see below:

IAQ CONTAMINANTS AND HEALTH EFFECTS

IEQ

Sick Building Syndrome

Building Related Illness

Dose Response

Microns

Taxonomy

Ecology

Mold

Mold Spores

Common Mold Types

Health Effects of Mold

Dampness and Health

Bacteria

Legionella

Tuberculosis

Viruses

Allergens

VOCs

VOC Sources

Common VOCs

Reducing VOCs

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Radon

Particulate

Carbon Monoxide

THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

IAQ Problems

Controlling IAQ Problems

Air Pressure

Pressurization

Causes of Pressurization

Stack Effect

Psychrometrics

Air Infiltration

Vapor Diffusion

Condensation

Building Security

HVAC

Intro to HVAC

Control of Contaminants

Problem Areas

Air Distribution Systems

VAV Problems

Ductwork

Humidity Control

Ventilation

Outdoor Air Intakes

Ventilation Effectiveness

Filtration

Filter Efficiencies

Filter Replacement

Electronic Air Cleaners

Gas Phase Filtration

HVAC Maintenance

HVAC Inspections

EQUIPMENT AND ASSESSMENTS

Assessments

Gathering Information

Walk Through Inspections

Instrumentation

Indicator Measurements

Assessing Ventilation

CO2 and Ventilation

Assessing Pressurization

Assessing Surface Moisture

Infrared Thermography

Mold Sampling

Air Sampling

Viable Air Sampling

Spore Trap Sampling

Interpreting Air Samples

Pump Calibration

Surface Sampling

Dust Sampling

Other Mold Sampling

Conditions During Sampling

Assessing Particulate Matter

Assessing VOCs

GUIDELINES, REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS

ASHRAE 62.1 Scope

62.1 Definitions

62.1 Acceptable IAQ

62.1 Ventilation Rate Procedure

62.1 IAQ Procedure

62.1 Outdoor Air Requirements

62.1 Equipment Requirements

62.1 Operations and Maintenance

ASHRAE 55

55 Air Speed

55 Measurements

Exposure Guidelines

MSDSs

ACAC Code of Conduct

REMEDIATION

Purpose of Mold Remediation

Remediation Qualifications

Communication

Water Damage

Structural Drying

Engineering Controls

Isolation

Pressure Differential

Air Changes

Personal Protective Equipment

Respirators

Cleaning vs. Removal

Hard Surfaces

Porous Surfaces

Disposal

Controlling and Preventing Mold

Antimicrobial Use

Antimicrobial Nomenclature

Antimicrobials Precautions

To register for the class, give us a call at (312) 920-9393 or click one of the following links: CIE Online, CIE On-site.

It is your responsibility to notify us in writing if you would like us to report your continuing education directly to a state licensing agency (e.g. FL Dept. of Professional Regulation) or professional organization.